Rad said: Altec apparently cut costs in the wrong places: in the electronics and drivers. If you’re going to listen only to spoken word or old-time radio, these headphones will do; but if you want even semi-serious sound quality, be willing to spend a few bucks more.

Al said: At $599, the rPlay costs 20 times as much as Google’s puck-like Chromecast Audio -- but when you use the Arcam to listen to Tidal or Spotify, or stream music from a media server on your computer or NAS, your ears will tell you that the difference is worth the money.

Al said: Arcam’s Solo Music will be great for those who want to dispense with a component-based hi-fi system. With everything included -- amplifier, preamp, SACD/CD player, DLNA network streamer -- all you need to add are speakers (and a sub, if you’ve got one).

Brent said: If you want top-notch, audiophile-grade sound you can enjoy at home and easily take along to your office, cubicle, or hotel room, I can’t think of a more practical and cost-effective way to get it. This is $4000 worth of sound for $400.

Edgar said: Add to all that the aesthetic design flair commensurate with the Italian credo plus the Swiss-precision build quality and you have yourself one extremely serious power amplifier that should last you a lifetime.